EFCC arrest of Tarfa: Dawodu, Akeredolu, others react

EFCC detention of Mr. Ricky Tarfa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria for three days now has triggered an unprecedented reaction from his colleagues who have come out condemning the commission, describing its action as officious.

Tarfa’s detention is generating waves because he’s among the SANs prominent in holding brief for the biggies among corruption suspects the anti-graft agency is prosecuting in Nigeria.

According to Joseph Bodunrin Daudu, SAN and head of defence team of ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki, those lawyers defending accused persons are now endangered species.

“All of us are being investigated by the EFCC, so we are all waiting for the day they will come and carry us,” the ex-president of the Nigeria Bar Association said.

Another former president of the NBA, Rotimi Akeredolu, said it is an unfortunate development.

Redressing EFCC’s impunity regime

“A situation where lawyers are arrested in court while performing their lawful duties must be condemned in unequivocal terms,” he said, adding, however, this is the work of an overzealous agency.

“No government can allow this, especially when you have a senior lawyer, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria as the Vice-President,” the APC stalwart said.

But the lawyers may have got the whole matter twisted with their witch-hunt narratives. Tarfa’s law firm has tried to clear the air over this. And the explanation has nothing to do with President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight or Dasukigate.

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Rickey Tarfa &Co. in a statement signed by Olusegun Odubela, partner and head of chambers, said the matter before the court “is purely between a husband and wife struggling for the control of a manufacturing company they jointly promoted. It is purely a matrimonial issue that went sour.”

Akeredolu, however, insists that since the NBA president has intervened, they should release Tarfa to the NBA for him to appear on Monday to answer to whatever charges they have against him. “

“He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; he cannot jump bail,” Akeredolu said.